Exploring the Muddled Middle with Cathleen Kaveny

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

#Society #Academia #Academic #Brilliant #College #Intellectual #Pbk #Phibetakappa #Scholars #Smart #Arts #Podcasting Education #LWC Studios #Phi Beta Kappa Societys #Research #Universe

38:16

Many of us are entering the new year with a similar goal — to build community and connect more with others. To kick off season five, Priya Parker shares ideas on how to be the host with the most. An expert on building connection, Priya is the author of “The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters.” Whether it's a book club, wedding, birthday or niche-and-obscurely themed party, Priya and Chris talk about how to create meaningful and fun experiences for all of your guests — including yourself. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts . For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts Want to help shape TED’s shows going forward? Fill out our survey here ! Learn more about TED Next at ted.com/futureyou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

2 years ago 27:09

MP3•Episode home

Scholar and author Cathleen Kaveny focuses on the relationship of law, religion, and morality. As the Darald and Juliet Libby Millennium Professor at Boston College, she has dual appointments in both the Theology Department and the Law School—the first to hold the joint appointment. Kaveny has devoted her career to exploring the connection between law and theology and explores the use of prophetic language and rhetoric in the past, and how we use it in today's society. In this important conversation, Professor Kaveny breaks down the polarizing sides of cancel culture, the benefits of being in the muddled middle and how nostalgia can be dangerous for society.

82 episodes

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

Exploring the Muddled Middle with Cathleen Kaveny

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

published 2 years ago

MP3•Episode home

82 episodes

#Society #Academia #Academic #Brilliant #College #Intellectual #Pbk #Phibetakappa #Scholars #Smart #Arts #Podcasting Education #LWC Studios #Phi Beta Kappa Societys #Research #Universe

All episodes

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
REPLAY:How Dr. Shawkat Toorawa Uses Music and Pop Culture to Make Arabic Literature Accessible 28:23

14 days ago28:23

28:23

With an international background and love of languages, Professor Shawkat M. Toorawa decided to study intensive Arabic with the encouragement of a highly influential advisor at the University of Pennsylvania, which set him on a path to becoming a professor of Arabic literature, Comparative literature and Chair of the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at Yale University. In this episode, Professor Toorawa reflects on the journey, which was admittedly not linear, with stops in medieval French literature, modern British poetry, and even U.S. history along the way. Professor Toorawa also discusses "The dr T projecT," a regular drop-in session for students to learn about items of cultural interest — from music to literature — to aid in his lessons.…

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
Unraveling the Mysteries of Ancient China: Looking at Classical Texts, Nationalism, and Comparative Antiquity with Martin Kern 23:42

6 weeks ago23:42

23:42

In this episode, Fred Lawrence speaks with Professor Martin Kern, a leading scholar in Chinese antiquity and a professor at Princeton University. Kern shares his unique academic journey, from growing up in post-war Germany to studying in Beijing during a period of political transformation. He discusses the complexities of interpreting ancient Chinese texts, the challenges of nationalism in historical scholarship, and his passion for comparative antiquity. The conversation also explores the richness of classical Chinese poetry, the evolution of historical narratives, and exactly how he ended up studying ancient Chinese manuscripts in the first place.…

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
2024 Lebowitz Prize: A Discussion on the "Dehumanization and its Discontents" 29:48

10 weeks ago29:48

29:48

This special episode of Key Conversations is joined by Kate Manne, associate professor of philosophy at Cornell University, and David Livingstone Smith, Professor of Philosophy at the University of New England. Each year, the Lebowitz Prize is presented to a pair of philosophers who hold contrasting views of an important philosophical question that is of current interest both to the field and to an educated public audience. The professors discuss the topic for the 2024 Lebowitz Prize, which is the "Dehumanization and its Discontents"…

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
Exploring the Evolution of Animal Weapons and How it Relates to Arms Races in Military Technologies With Professor Doug Emlen 23:54

15 weeks ago23:54

23:54

In this episode, evolutionary biologist Douglas Emlen joins Fred Lawrence in a conversation about his research on extreme animal weapons— from the horns of a rhinoceros beetle to elk antlers. He discusses his family's scientific legacy, his early reluctance to follow in their footsteps, and how his childhood experiences in Kenya influenced his path. In his award-winning book, Animal Weapons: The Evolution of Battle, Emlen also explores the parallels between animal and human arms races. His interdisciplinary work connects biological evolution with military history, shedding light on the forces that drive the escalation of weapons in both human societies and nature.…

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
Unearthing the Voices of the Marginalized Through Medieval Studies with Professor Kristina Richardson 25:29

19 weeks ago25:29

25:29

In this episode, Professor Kristina Richardson, a distinguished historian and Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar, joins Fred Lawrence for a compelling conversation about her groundbreaking research on marginalized communities in medieval Islamic societies. Professor Richardson sheds light on the lives of disabled individuals, Romani crafts people, and East African enslaved laborers—groups often overlooked. She also explores her personal journey from Detroit to academia, her transformative fieldwork on Pemba Island, and the integration of Swahili into her research.…

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
2024 Phi Beta Kappa Book Awards 29:38

22 weeks ago29:38

29:38

The Phi Beta Kappa Book Awards are presented annually to three outstanding scholarly books published in the United States. The 2024 winners are Gregg Hecimovich for his book The Life and Times of Hannah Crafts: The True Story of The Bondwoman's Narrative ; Jeremy Eichler for his book Time's Echo: The Second World War, the Holocaust, and the Music of Remembrance; and Emily Monosson for her book Blight: Fungi and the Coming Pandemic. This year, the Book Awards Dinner was held in person in Washington, D.C. in December 2024, where the three scholars discussed the impetus behind their books and the motives that keep them sleepless—and engaged—in liberal arts and sciences.…

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
How Professor and Journalist Corey Robin Interprets Political Theory in and Beyond the Classroom 25:37

28 weeks ago25:37

25:37

Growing up in a New York City suburb, Corey Robin was influenced by his public high school teachers who taught American history via the Socratic method. Today, Robin tries to replicate that magnetic energy in his own classroom as a political science professor at Brooklyn College and the CUNY Graduate Center while authoring books and essays that have been read and translated across the world. In this episode, Robin touches on his Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar teachings of Austrian economist and philosopher Friedrich Hayek, as well as his upcoming scholar lecture on “Who is Clarence Thomas, and Where is He Taking Us?” in which he explores Thomas’ identity as a conservative black nationalist jurist.…

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
How Professor Kendra McSweeney uses Geography to Protect Forests in Indigenous Homelands 27:19

32 weeks ago27:19

27:19

For a lot of Americans, geography is just a middle school subject or a trivia night category at their neighborhood bar. But for Professor Kendra McSweeney, the “invisible field” of geography is a way to understand the relationship between people and their environment, from adaptation to climate change to how the drug trade impacts biodiverse forests in Colombia. In this episode, McSweeney highlights how her dynamic career as an academic has taken her from Canada to eastern Honduras, and talks about the thought process behind lectures such as “Viewing Political Ecology Through the Lens of the Tree of Heaven,” an enlightening take on the so-called invasive tree that is providing crucial shade in neighborhoods in the US.…

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
How Dr. Shawkat Toorawa Uses Music and Pop Culture to Make Arabic Literature Accessible 27:55

36 weeks ago27:55

27:55

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
From Dinosaurs to Birds: The Science and Language of Evolution with Dr. Julia Clarke 27:51

40 weeks ago27:51

27:51

For Professor Julia Clarke, paleontology is more than just a passion for exploration and discovery — it’s a shared, global dialogue that has the ability to permeate cultural differences. In this episode, Dr. Clarke recounts how her early interest in the history and philosophy of science merged with her desire to have a practice deeply woven into narrative. As a professor and researcher, she prioritizes the questions that guide a discipline into a new area, calling it “a fundamental part of science”. Giving both in-depth and thought inspiring lectures such as “The Secret Lives of Dinosaurs,” Dr. Clarke dives into the origins that led her into the world of geobiology, the importance of staying curious and learning to communicate through the language of science.…

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
REPLAY: Professor Emily Yeh Advocates for Environmental Protection for Tibetan’s Cultural Legacy 28:49

45 weeks ago28:49

28:49

Professor Emily Yeh is a Professor of Geography at the University of Colorado Boulder, where she researches the nature-society relationship in political, cultural and developmental relations in the mostly Tibetan parts of China. Although she majored in electrical engineering and computer science at MIT, while interning in China, she realized that her understanding of sustainable development needed to be further explored. Her first visit to Tibet proved to be life changing, and Yeh has committed her career to advocating for environmental justice for the Tibetan people. In this conversation, Professor Yeh discusses her climate justice work for Tibetan herders, her experience at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, and how climate change is impacting Tibetans’ ability to keep their culture alive.…

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
REPLAY: Exploring Disability as an Identity with Professor Rosemarie Garland-Thomson 26:57

49 weeks ago26:57

26:57

Professor Rosemarie Garland-Thomson is a disability justice and cultural thought leader, bioethicist, educator, and humanities scholar. Garland-Thomson grew up with a congenital disability, an experience that highlighted the barriers that exist for people with disabilities. Inspired by the Civil Rights movement and hearing the narratives from Black authors for the first time, the disability pioneer explores the perspectives of disabled people in all aspects of society. In this insightful conversation, Garland-Thomson discusses the destructive idea of normal, the reality that most people will become disabled at one point in their lives, and the ways that barriers create social categories for people with disabilities.…

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
REPLAY: How Natalia’s Experience as a First-Gen Allows her to Connect to the Humanities—and her Students 28:32

1 year ago28:32

28:32

Professor Natalia Molina was the first in her family, and her neighborhood, to go to college. Being a first-gen student, the 2020 MacArthur Fellow’s higher education was shaped by curiosity and a being open to new opportunities—even when they brought her across the country for her graduate degree. As an expert of the humanities, Professor Natalia Molina emphasizes the importance of literature in understanding the experiences of those around us, how the conversation around immigration has evolved in her classrooms, and how as a historian, writing op-eds allow Professor Molina to explain the present through the past.…

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
Why Dr. Talitha Washington’s Determined to Make Science More Equitable 26:10

1 year ago26:10

26:10

Growing up in a tight-knit African-American community in Evansville, Indiana, Dr. Talitha Washington quickly understood the role that her race and racism would play in her life—always choosing to rise above it all. Amongst her Black cohort at Spelman College, Dr. Washington felt she was finally able to learn freely, and without the pressure of being the only Black student in the class. The mathematics scholar is now the Director of the Atlanta University Center (AUC) Data Science Initiative where she works with HBCUs to increase the number of minorities earning data science credentials and further develop science that advances social justice. Throughout her career as a Ph. D mathematician, she’s actively challenging the assumptions of who can succeed in mathematics, and how her perseverance in the field is shaping who can and should be contributing to science.…

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
2023 Lebowitz Prize: A Discussion on the “Norms of Attention” by Two Philosophers 27:41

1 year ago27:41

27:41

This special episode of Key Conversations is joined by Dr. Kristie Dotson, the University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor at the University of Michigan, and Dr. Susanna Siegel, the Edgar Pierce Professor of Philosophy at Harvard University. Each year, the Lebowitz Prize is presented to a pair of philosophers who hold contrasting views of an important philosophical question that is of current interest both to the field and to an educated public audience. The professors discuss the topic for the 2023 Lebowitz Prize, which is the "Norms of Attention”.…

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
Why Professor Corey D.B. Walker Looks to the Past to Understand Today’s Complex World 27:51

1 year ago27:51

27:51

Professor Corey D. B. Walker is the Dean of the Wake Forest University School of Divinity, Wake Forest Professor of the Humanities, and Director of the Program in African American Studies. He pursued his education at two HBCUs and two of the oldest schools in America, and talks about how each of these formations gave him the ability to develop into the intellectual he is today. As an expert in the areas of African American philosophy, critical theory, ethics and religion, Professor Walker discusses the overlap between theology and democracy, and explores what it means to be human in today’s society.…

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
Professor Emily Yeh Advocates for Environmental Protection for Tibetan’s Cultural Legacy 28:20

1 year ago28:20

28:20

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
2023 Phi Beta Kappa Book Awards 48:59

1 year ago48:59

48:59

The Phi Beta Kappa Book Awards are presented annually to three outstanding scholarly books published in the United States. The 2023 winners are Dennis Tyler for his book Disabilities of the Color Line: Redressing Antiblackness from Slavery to the Present ; Jennifer Raff for her book Origin: A Genetic History of the Americas; and Deborah Cohen for her book Last Call at the Hotel Imperial: The Reporters Who Took On a World at War. This year, the Book Awards Dinner was held in person in Washington, D.C. in November 2023, where the three scholars discussed the impetus behind their books and the motives that keep them sleepless—and engaged—in liberal arts and sciences.…

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
Exploring the Muddled Middle with Cathleen Kaveny 27:09

2 years ago27:09

27:09

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
Exploring Disability as an Identity with Professor Rosemarie Garland-Thomson 26:26

2 years ago26:26

26:26

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
How Natalia’s Experience as a First-Gen Allows her to Connect to the Humanities—and her Students 28:01

2 years ago28:01

28:01

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
REPLAY: Professor Ed Ayers on Teaching a Morally Engaging History 26:31

2 years ago26:31

26:31

The Civil War historian talks about combining intellectual, cultural, social, and economic history to truly grasp the U.S.’s past, especially events that took place in the South. He shares with Fred how he helps make free, nonpartisan, educational resources for teaching lively history lessons.

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
REPLAY: Sociologist Marta Tienda on Why Demography is Not Destiny 25:06

2 years ago25:06

25:06

The Princeton University professor shares how instrumental one teacher was in her own path to college, and why the U.S. should do more to invest in higher education. She speaks to Fred about how important public policy is in shaping our individual and collective destinies.

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
REPLAY: Biologist Victoria Sork on What Trees Teach Us 26:40

2 years ago26:40

26:40

The UCLA professor shares how the life-changing revelation that she could be a scientist, and work outdoors, led to her research on tree genomes and evolutionary biology. Plus, how she harnesses the teaching power of plants as the director of UCLA’s botanical garden.

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
Why Harvard History Professor Maya Jasanoff Studies the Past to Understand the Present 23:56

2 years ago23:56

23:56

Growing up, Professor Maya Jasanoff was surrounded by academics and scholars—an environment she believes gave her the confidence to explore academia herself. Initially, her fellowship at Cambridge sparked her interest in studying the British Empire, and as she dove deeper into the subject matter, she began recognizing the many ways that British imperialism has infiltrated our world. Today, the author and professor writes about history and is interested in how people—and power— have historically crossed borders, and how the relationships between power and people shift and align over time.…

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
Understanding the Intricacies of Life Expectancy with Professor Mark Hayward 25:11

2 years ago25:11

25:11

An assumption about life expectancy is that the richer the society, the longer and healthier the individuals in that society will live—but in the case of life expectancy, money can’t collectively buy us more time. Sociologist and demographer Mark Hayward has spent the majority of his career studying all-things life expectancy, and in this episode he talks about the devastating societal impacts of inequality and unpacks some of the largest factors to living a long and healthy life: education, social networks, social policies, and brain development.…

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
2022 Lebowitz Prize: What Is Wrong With Democracy and What We Should Do According to These Two Philosophers 27:27

2 years ago27:27

27:27

This special episode of Key Conversations is joined by Dr. Cristina Lafont, Harold H. and Virginia Anderson Professor of Philosophy at Northwestern University, and Dr. Alex Guerrero, Professor of Philosophy at Rutgers University. Each year, the Lebowitz Prize is presented to a pair of philosophers who hold contrasting views of an important philosophical question that is of current interest both to the field and to an educated public audience. The professors discuss the topic for the 2022 Lebowitz Prize, which is "Democracy: What’s Wrong? What Should We Do?"…

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
Why Professor Kay E. Holekamp’s Research into Animal Behavior is Beneficial to Humans 24:14

2 years ago24:14

24:14

The Michigan State University Professor of Integrative Biology shares how her early fascination for animals led to an extensive career in researching mammalian behavioral development, and the importance of studying the social, ecological, and endocrine variables of a species. As a leading behavioral ecologist, Professor Holekamp’s initial field studies as a Ph.D. candidate transpired into decades of research on the spotted hyena including their reproductive success, their survival, and the forces shaping the species and its evolution.…

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
Kathryn Lofton Thinks About Religion Through Unique Systems of Worship 26:50

2 years ago26:50

26:50

The Yale University Professor of Religious and American Studies thinks outside the box when it comes to religion, and shares why she looks at everything from pop culture and video game communities to celebrities – like Oprah Winfrey and the Kardashians – for ways to talk about what guides moral decision-making in the U.S. Plus, how her background as a “red diaper baby” influenced her approach to American religious and social movements.…

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
Ricardo Padrón is Mapping Spanish Exploration of the Pacific 25:57

3 years ago25:57

25:57

The UVA Spanish Professor dives into the literature and cartography of European expansion, including the colonial history of early modern Spain and the transpacific, and reflects on the Renaissance and themes that remain relevant today. Plus he discusses how he views maps as context-rich stories of subjective interpretations made by cartographers.…

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
Why Geographer Bill Moseley Grounds His Work in Real Life 26:43

3 years ago26:43

26:43

The Macalester College Professor of Geography shares how his time in the Peace Corps in Mali led to his lifelong love of indigenous agricultural practices, and a lasting interest in what people experience in their home countries. He continued to ground his years of development work and extensive studies in geography and agricultural policy on people’s real, lived experiences producing food.…

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
Laurence Smith Knows the Many Stories Rivers Tell Us 21:22

3 years ago21:22

21:22

The Brown University professor of Environmental Studies shares his lifelong admiration of rivers and how he came to study many kinds of flowing water, including the melting glaciers of the Arctic. He encourages listeners to look for the nearest body of water to them and appreciate how we’re taking better care of the planet, in addition to how much more is left to do.…

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
Buddhist Scholar Donald Lopez on the Staying Power of Ancient Questions 24:09

3 years ago24:09

24:09

The Buddhist and Tibetan Studies professor at the University of Michigan recalls how a tumultuous period in U.S. politics led him to his area of expertise. Plus, what he’s learned from his many meetings with a leading Buddhist philosopher, the Dalai Lama. And what attracted him to out-of-the-box thinkers like poet Gendun Chopel.…

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
Howard Bloch Sees Human Choices in Medieval History 26:13

3 years ago26:13

26:13

The Yale professor of French and Humanities shares how cathedral fires “of suspicious origin” played a role in the transition from Romanesque to Gothic-style architecture in Europe. Plus, how his scholarship challenges existing narratives on everything from historical relics to literary movements.

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
Biologist Victoria Sork on What Trees Teach Us 26:29

3 years ago26:29

26:29

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
Sociologist Marta Tienda on Why Demography is Not Destiny 24:55

3 years ago24:55

24:55

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
Professor Ed Ayers on Teaching a Morally Engaging History 26:20

3 years ago26:20

26:20

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
Editor Bob Wilson Celebrates A Career of Literary Journalism 24:28

3 years ago24:28

24:28

The retiring editor of The American Scholar magazine reflects on decades producing literary journalism, why he always supported women writers, and the role of journalists in turbulent times.

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
2021 Lebowitz Award Winners on How We Perceive Our Selves 30:47

3 years ago30:47

30:47

The Lebowitz Award is presented each year to a pair of outstanding philosophers who hold contrasting views on a topic of current interest in the field. The 2021 winners, New York University's Ned Block and Johns Hopkins University's Ian Phillips, speak with Fred about how they approach philosophy of mind – specifically, our powers of perception and how that affects our consciousness.…

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
Professor Joan Waugh Debunks the “Easy Stereotypes of History” 23:59

3 years ago23:59

23:59

The UCLA scholar tries to understand the past on its own terms, while interrogating how we memorialize it. She speaks with Fred about the memory wars that have outlived the Civil War, the politics of Reconstruction that gave us Confederate monuments, and what we can learn from Gettysburg by visiting the place.…

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
Princeton’s Doug Massey Unpacks U.S. Migration and Housing Segregation 25:05

3 years ago25:05

25:05

The multidisciplinary scholar’s wide-ranging interests led him to demography and population research early on. He speaks with Fred about what people generally misunderstand about immigration into the U.S., how border enforcement has backfired, and why racial segregation and housing discrimination persist around the country.…

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
2021 Book Awards Keynote Roundtable 43:28

3 years ago43:28

43:28

The Phi Beta Kappa Book Awards are presented annually to three outstanding scholarly books published in the United States. The 2021 winners are Jenn Shapland for My Autobiography of Carson McCullers ; Sarah Stewart Johnson for The Sirens of Mars: Searching for Life on Another World ; and Alice Baumgartner for South to Freedom: Runaway Slaves to Mexico and the Road to the Civil War . During the ceremony, the authors shared their thought process that sparked their ideas, found commonality in courage, and reflected on the moments that spurred them on to pursue the work we honored.…

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
How Biophysicist Karen Fleming Explores the Rules of Life, Evolution, and Disease 23:05

4 years ago23:05

23:05

The biophysicist has been running a discovery research lab for two decades at Johns Hopkins. She speaks with Fred about the randomness underlying all molecular processes, computer models that enable the integration of multiple scientific disciplines, and what she sees as compelling strategies for a more inclusive STEM pipeline. This interview was recorded remotely.…

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
Bro Adams Knows What the Humanities Can Do Beyond Campuses 25:46

4 years ago25:46

25:46

William "Bro" Adams, the former head of the National Endowment of the Humanities, and President of Colby College and Bucknell University brought the humanities with him through his professional journey. While doing so he challenged colleges to rethink the impact liberal arts and sciences had on students, and the role they could play in the broader general public. In this episode, he shares how the meaningful life and the productive life can coexist and how they can both be served in higher education.…

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

1
Yale’s Tracey Meares Deconstructs Our Relationship with the Police 25:08

4 years ago25:08